


The Altar

by theoncomingwolf



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 13:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6287074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoncomingwolf/pseuds/theoncomingwolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Many theories circulate about the tens of thousands year old altar in the middle of the woods; ideas range from ritual sacrifice to the farfetched notion of aliens. </p><p>--Outside POV on the Crystal Gems--</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Altar

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this a while ago- just found it in my docs...

There are many rumors about the weird slab of shiny stone in the middle of the woods.

It’s clearly man-made, shaped as it is, but the purpose is unclear. Whether it was for ritual sacrifice, an altar, a stage, or held a throne, they do know one thing for certain- it’s pretty damn old. Despite this, it’s held up pretty well, and there are few chips in the patterned edges.

There are others scattered in the world, unusually far apart- too far for one tribe or society. Crazy people say it’s aliens.

Jael walks by the altar often enough, following the familiar beaten path through the woods to and from her home. There’s a polite sign urging people to mind that it’s a historical artifact, as if it were a fragile piece of art, but it’s true that humans could find a way to ruin anything. 

Sometimes, tourists come by to look at it, but it’s usually only adventurous, hiking types who don’t mind going quite far out of their way to get a gander at the rather underwhelming artifact.

Usually, it’s just Jael in this part of the woods. 

Today, she’s not alone.

She’s not sure what to think of the loud scraping and snapping behind her. It sounds as if something rather large and clumsy is bumbling its way through the forest. The thought of a panther pops to mind, but if it is a panther, she reasons she can’t be afraid of any animal too weak to walk straight. Maybe it’s a mad panther, Jael reasons. She walks a little faster.

The bumbling, slow and unsteady, moves into a faster, neater rhythm, and Jael gets the idea that whatever this thing is, it’s running.

She’s hesitant to run as well, in case it hasn’t heard her yet, but as the noises get unmistakably louder- closer- she drops any idea of sneaky and makes a dash down the path.

Jael doesn’t quite register the sight of the familiar shiny stone until she’s passed it. A brilliant white light fills the woods behind her, illuminating bits of trees around her. She risks a glance backwards. The altar is out of sight, the light has gone, but the beast has quieted somewhat. A softer crack floats towards her. Snapping her head in its direction, Jael fails to notice the stone in her path, and soon finds herself sprawled painfully on the ground.

“Oof,” she grunts, pushing herself quickly onto her hands and knees.

She turns, slowly, at the airy grunt to her right, abandoning all thought of standing at the sight of the monster behind her. Jael finds herself on the ground once more, inching into the nearest bush as the creature steps closer.

It has a long, narrow snout, with sharp teeth and no visible eyes. Instead, what appears to be a muddy brown gemstone is embedded in its face. A long green tongue lolls out of the creature’s mouth, as Jael flattens herself into the ground, whimpering fearfully. 

A heavy paw with long, dull claws sets itself on Jael’s thigh, and she grunts in pain at the weight centered on her leg, as well as from the sharpness digging through the cloth of her trousers. 

Her eyes water as she unsuccessfully tries to pull her leg away, and Jael wonders if she will ever see home, and her mother again, or if fate wills her path to end here, by this monster’s teeth. 

If the forest is good for one thing, it is that it is nearly impossible to sneak around in. Whoever is running through the forest now is not trying to be sneaky, yelling as they sprint through the trees to collide, hard, with the monster above her. 

Jael gasps as the pressure is taken off her leg, quickly crawling away from the beast and the woman rolling around with it on the floor.

She has its snout in both hands, which are covered by large metal gloves. Jael’s second look at the monster reveals a larger form than she had realized. Its body has an extra set of legs, even for an animal, and a large tail snaps angrily back and forth, leaving a mark through a tree as if it were an axe and not an appendage. 

The woman yells in English as she tail whips towards her, landing with a crack beside her head. She removes her hands from the monster’s face as a spear flies through the air, embedding itself in the monster’s side. 

It hisses, pulling one of its front paws up and diverting its weight to its four back feet, moving its head away from the woman on the ground in the process. Jael, on her feet and hiding behind a tree, is glad to see that the woman who saved her life now has support. Jael certainly wasn’t going to do anything to help.

The second woman, thinner, and lighter than the first, holds a second spear protectively against her chest, as if it could do anything to block the long whip of the tail. She has a stone embedded in her head, as well. Like the beast.

The first woman yells a warning as the tail whips around with intent to slice the second woman in half. She leaps to the side, gaining a very high jump even without a running start. 

As fascinated as she is, Jael is also not keen on dying, and turns away from the spectacle to run.

“Pearl!”

Jael looks to the boy in front of her, running alongside a small... purple woman. With a purple gem in her chest. They make eye contact through the trees, before the two continue on, towards the source of the danger.

Jael continues quickly on the path to her home- the market can wait. 

She slows as she passes the old, shiny stone in the woods, contemplating how its purpose might tie in to the scene behind her. She doubts she can tell anyone what she saw, assuming the strange women live long enough to buy her time to make it home. No-one would believe her- this monster thing is an even crazier explanation than aliens.  

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Pls drop a comment if you have a moment. :)


End file.
